February 21, 2013

Minnesota Iceman Found and Sold

At my Cryptopalooza event in October of last year, Loren Coleman made the announcement that the supposed stand-in for the original real Minnesota Iceman had been “found” and that it was being donated to his International Cryptozoology Museum.

Recently, the Minnesota Iceman “body”, exhibit signage and display was listed for sale on eBay for a buy it now price of $20,000.

This is the actual sideshow gaff billed as “The Minnesota Iceman” by Frank Hansen in the 1960’s. This is a one of a kind hoax that was fabricated by a mid-20th century showman. The Iceman was featured in an issue of Argosy Magazine (as you can see in the pictures) and spawned decades of debate as to its authenticity. For around 40 years the whereabouts of the Iceman were unknown to the cryptozoology community. The “creature”, while under ice, baffled the famed zoologist (and so-called father of cryptozoology) Bernard Heuvelmans who examined it in it’s heyday. Stories circulated as to the origin of the creature ranging from “a hunter shot it in the great northwoods”, to “it was killed during wartime in Southeast Asia”, and even that it was found floating in the ocean encased in it’s signature block of ice. It is thought that the “creature” was actually crafted by one of Disney’s early Imagineers. Regardless of who actually did create it, the quality is flawless, and it has stood up remarkably well to the rigors of time and repeated freezings. The chest freezer that it is housed in is unfortunately not operational at this time. It has been looked at by a licensed refrigeration contractor who determined that the compressor needs to be replaced. A new custom sheet of glass was added in September of 2012. The housing is extremely heavy, in upwards of 1000lbs, and is approxamately 4′ x 4′ x 8′. This listing includes the rolling freezer container, the creature, and the original signage. Buyer will need to either arrange to pick item up in Minnesota, or arrange for shipping. Follow this link to read the original Argosy Magazine article: http://www.bigfootencounters.com/articles/argosy2.htm Any questions, please feel free to email. Serious inquiries only. Thank You!hauntarmada (eBay seller)

I was watching this auction with interest.

The auction ended yesterday with a buyer offering less than the $20.000 buy it now price.

How much less?

Who was the buyer?

Is it going to Loren’s International Cryptozoology Museum?

Did Wally Hersom purchase it for a new coffee table in his living room?

Who know? Will it end up in a private collection?

Or will it end up in a museum where it can be viewed by all?

Filed under Artifacts, Bigfoot, Bigfoot Report, Breaking News, Cryptozoologists, Cryptozoology, Evidence, Hoaxes, Minnesota Iceman, Museums, Photos, Pop Culture, Sasquatch